How long should I let hair grow before waxing?

Written by stacey richardson| 13/05/2017

Some hair growth is required for successful waxing. (legs image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com)

To successfully remove hair by waxing there needs to be some growth for the wax to adhere to. Sue Ismiel, inventor of Nad's Natural Hair Removal recommends waxing hair when it is between 3 to 5 centimetres, or about 1 to 2 inches, long.

Less Than One Centimeter

A common complaint about waxing is that the longer the hair, the more painful the process. The optimum length for waxing is about a quarter-inch, according to Teens Health.

Bottom Line

Hair that is too long will be very painful to wax while hair that is too short will not adhere to the wax, so what is the optimum length? The Boston-based waxing specialists at Spa Newbury recommend growing your hair to 1/4- to 1/2-inch and no longer than 3/4 inch for a bikini wax.